Contract Year Countdown: Will Daron Payne Earn Another Deal in Washington?

Looking over the 2026 roster, the biggest thing that pops out is the overwhelming amount of players in their last year. Obviously, some players were recently added to the roster via free agency on one-year prove-it deals, but there are 20+ players on the roster whose futures lie no further than this season. Over the next few weeks, we're going to take a look at each one and see what they need to do to secure another contract with the Washington Commanders.

Is Daron Payne Worth One More Big Contract for Washington?

.@Raiders @Commanders DT; Daron Payne, was everywhere Sunday being a Royal Pain to the #RaiderNation Offense #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/j3rPREJv7v
— Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) September 22, 2025

Daron Payne (29) is heading into what will likely be his last long-term contract and will command a pretty sizable amount. So far in his career, Washington has paid him $89,390,693, and in 130 games (124 starts), Payne has recorded 432 combined tackles, including 65 for loss, 81 QB hits, 37 sacks, seven forced fumbles, six recovered, and 195 pressures.

The Commanders are set to pay Payne $27,950,000 this year, by far their highest salary on the books, as he plays out the final year of his contract, with no firm groundwork laid yet for a new deal.

Daron Payne has entered the final year of his contract.

I asked the Commanders DT if he's hopeful an extension is coming before training camp?

Daron said, "I'm just playing football, man."

I followed up if there's been any type of dialogue?

He said, "Not that I know of." pic.twitter.com/y5M1H8i2c5
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) June 2, 2026

On March 12, 2023, Daron Payne signed a a 4 year, $90 million contract with the Washington Commanders, including $28 million signing bonus, just over $59 million guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $22.5 million. Clearly, the team is highly invested in Payne, but, truthfully, he has not lived up to the contract in terms of raw numbers, though most who watch game film will instantly tell you he is a terror to offensive linemen and opposing offensive coordinators.

Payne has 37 career sacks, with his best year coming in 2022, when he posted career highs in tackles (64 combined, 18 for loss), QB hits (20), and, of course, sacks (11.5). That was also Daron's last contract year, and the only time he made the Pro Bowl. In any other year of Payne's career, he's averaged 3.64 sacks per season; granted, sacks aren't all the team would like from him. Washington values him as a disruptor, and opposing offenses fear him for that and several other reasons, but he doesn't have the numbers of a player making north of $22 million playing on the defensive line, even with inflation in contract numbers being at an all-time high. The thing players like Payne bring to the table is interior pressure that leads to breakdown points elsewhere on the opposing line. He's like a big ball of knives wreaking havoc on whoever gets in the way.

Daron Payne Career Defense Grades — Career Defense Grades via PFF | Pro Football Focus

To be clear, unless Daron is ready to take a pay cut (or gets 12+ sacks this upcoming season), the team will likely move on next year, foundational player or not. That's not saying that Adam Peters doesn't want to keep him around. He's just not going to grossly overpay to do so. That said, if 2026 is Payne's last year in Washington, and he's looking to cash in one more time via free agency at 29, expect an uptick in his stats, maybe even another career year.

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